School District Still Seeking Grant Money for 12/14

With a vote looming on a proposed 5.5% education budget boost, school officials are hoping another source of funding -- one that specifically addresses the Dec. 14 shooting -- will come to fruition soon.

After the Dec. 14 shooting, Superintendent Janet Robinson began working on a grant through Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence), an organization that funds recovery for schools dealing with violent episodes. While details of the total grant -- approximately $4 million, she said -- have not been publicly disclosed, Robinson said there have been unexpected delays.

"As some of you know, we've had issues with [mental health] subcontractors and fees not allowed by the federal government," said Robinson at Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting. She said the district contracts with Yale and Clifford W. Beers Guidance Clinic, who offer mental health experts who deal with traumatic incidents involving children.

"I anticipate it should go through with approval," she told the board, but added, "You're asking me to guess what the federal government's going to do."

Typically, SERV grants last for fifteen months, but Robinson said she initially asked for four years due to the severity of the situation. She said Tuesday that officials recommended she separate the application by year rather than requesting all four years at once.

"This is a learning process," said Robinson. "Fortunately, we have Melissa [Brymer] to ask the right questions and guide us through."

Brymer, a psychologist with the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress at the University of California-San Diego, has been working with officials on preparing the grant.

Robinson said the district is also working collaboratively with Newtown's private schools -- St. Rose of Lima, Fraser Woods Montessori School and Housatonic Valley Waldorf School. Two of the three private schools showed interest in receiving mental health services from the grant, she said.

Some board members said they'd like more information about the details of the grant.

"The more information we can get out of the SERV grant, the better," said board member Keith Alexander. "If we do get a response back from the federal government before the budget vote -- I know they aren't directly related, but the public would like to know."

Robinson was unavailable for comment on Wednesday, but said at Tuesday night's meeting that she hoped to have issues with the grant fixed within the next day.